h.

There was only one instance in which the spirit of contradiction to the
Romanists took place universally in England: the altar was removed from
the wall, was placed in the middle of the church, and was thenceforth
denominated the communion table. The reason why this innovation met with
such general reception was, that the nobility and gentry got thereby
a pretence for making spoil of the plate, vestures, and rich ornaments
which belonged to the altars.[***]

* Strype, vol. i. p. 416.

** Keith, p. 565. Knox, p. 402.

*** Heylin, Preface, p. 3. Hist. p. 106.

These disputes, which had been started during the reign of Edward, were
carried abroad by the Protestants who fled from the persecutions of
Mary; and as the zeal of these men had received an increase from the
furious cruelty of their enemies, they were generally inclined to carry
their opposition to the utmost extremity against the practices of the
church of Rome. Their communication with Calvin, and the other reformers
who followed the discipline and worship of Geneva, confirmed them in
this obstinate reluctance; and though some of the refugees, particularly
those who were established at Frankfort, still adhered to King Edward's
liturgy, the prevailing spirit carried these confessors to seek a still
further reformation. On the accession of Elizabeth, they returned to
their native country; and being regarded with general veneration, on
account of their zeal and past sufferings, they ventured to insist
on the establishment of their projected model; nor did they want
countenance from many considerable persona in the queen's council. But
the princess herself, so far from being willing to despoil religion
of the few ornaments and ceremonies which remained in it, was rather
inclined to bring the public worship still nearer to the Romish
ritual;[*] and she thought that the reformation had already gone too far
in shaking off those forms and observances, which, without distracting
men of more refined apprehensions, tend, in a very innocent manner, to
allure, and amuse, and engage the vulgar.

* "When Nowel, one of her chaplains, had spoken less
reverently, in a sermon preached before her, of the sign of
the cross, she called aloud to him from her closet window,
commanding him to retire from the ungodly digression, and
to return unto his text. And on the other side, when one of
her divines had preached a sermon in defen